Attorney, Howard Dean supporter, blogs about international, national, Hawaii and Maui politics. Wants to see democracy and justice restored in the United States, and our troops brought home to fight forest fires and aid tsunami victims, not kill people.

Sunday, March 27, 2005

Let's Have Real "Right to Life" Amendments

Reading all the stories about the Terri Schiavo I've learned quite a few interesting factoids. I learned that Tom DeLay, that font of extreme right religous wisdom who ran so fast to get to the front of the "Save Terri" Parade to escape his ethics problems, participated in arriving at the decision to pull the plug on his own father, who was badly injured in a bizarre backyard accident.

The monks who are with the "Save Terri" parade jointly agreed to pull the plug on the leader of their sect a few years ago.

In 1999, as governor of Texas, George Bush signed into law a bill which permits hospital authorities to pull the plug on those who are "beyond help" and who don't have the money to pay for further treatment.

Within the last two weeks, a five month old baby boy was just taken off his life saving ventilator over the strong protests of his mother. Too bad, she didn't have enough money to pay for further treatment. Where were the "right to life" anti-abortion folks when the Texas hospital was pulling the plug on baby Sun? Oh, I forgot to mention that Baby Boy Sun and his mom were Afro-American.

The current federal budget has no funding for the "Therapeutic Head Trauma Injury act", which was to provide services for those, like Terri Schiavo who need extraordinary care. The funding was removed by the Republican majority in Congress. Bush's proposed budget reduces funding for nutrition, Headstart and educational services.

Bush's proposed budget reduces funding for section 8 FHA housing for the poor and disabled. It reduces grant money paid to the state for social welfare programs and food programs. It reduces funding for children's health insurance. It reduces funding for school repairs and renovations, and for grants and loans to college students.

It reduces funds for medical care for our veterans, and mandates the closing of some VA hospitals and military bases. It increases the "co-pay" amounts that our veterans have to pay for their medical care from the VA. And, while it is decreasing the benefits to our soldiers....

It increases funding for the defense budget which, including funds for Afghanistan, Iraq, and other hidden military costs, will exceed 600 billion dollars. More than the defense budgets of all the other countries in the world put together.

I think its time we take back the phrase "Right to Life" from the extreme right.

I think we need a "Right to Life" Amendment to the constitution. The services provided under my "Right to Life" Amendment can easily be paid for by reducing the defense budget to three hundred billion.

The "Right to Life" should mean the right to a life in which all one's needs are met, physical, emotional, and intellectual. In which an individual can develop all of his or her talents and skills freely, without being hampered by lack of money for survival.

My "Right to Life" Amendment will provide that every person born in the U.S. or coming within its territorial boundaries, shall have the right to three nutritious meals a day and at least two quarts of clean, sanitary water.

My "Right to Life" Amendment will provide that every person born in the U.S. or coming within its territorial boundaries, shall have the right to adequate accomodation, at state expense if necessary, with a secure roof to keep out the rain, electricity, water, and telephone service, and with adequate heat in the winter and sufficient cooling in the summer if needed.

My "Right to Life" Amendment will provide that every person born in the U.S. or coming within its territorial boundaries shall have the right to a full time job that will pay at least as much as $5000 over the poverty level.

My "Right to Life Amendment" will provide that no woman or man born in the U.S. or coming within its territorial boundaries, shall be forced to take a low paying job when she or he is responsible for caring for a child under the age of twelve years old. She or he shall be paid by the state to care for the children until the child reaches the age of twelve.

My "Right to Life Amendment will provide anyone born in the U.S. or coming wihtin its territorial boundaries with adequate, safe, and secure housing accomodations, for free if needed, to every disabled person and every person over the age of sixty years old who wants it.

My "Right to Life" Amendment will provide free public transportation for all persons born in the U.S. or coming within its territorial boundaries, with appropriate facilities for disabled persons and for transporting bicycles.

My "Right to Life" Amendment will provide those born in the U.S. or coming within its territorial boundaries will have free and accessible medical, dental and eye care under which program they can choose their own personal physicians and dentists.

My "Right to Life" Amendment will provide that each person born in the U.S. or coming within its territorial boundaries, will fill out a "Living Will" form when they obtain or renew their driver's license or state ID. A code on the license or ID will direct medical personnel to the details of each "right to Life" form, and medical personnel will be required to carry out the wishes expressed in the right to life form unless the patient personally expresses a change of desire. Donations of bodies and organs will be possible through this form.

My "Right to Life" Amendment will provide for free education to the Ph.d or M.D. level for every person born in the U.S. or coming within its territorial boundaries.

My "Right to Life Amendment" will provide scientifically accurate sexual education to all children starting at age seven and continuing until the twelfth grade of high school, with free contraceptives and "morning after pills" available over the counter to any one who wants it.

With proper sexual education of our young, we need never worry about criminalizing or decriminalizing abortion again, as it will be what it ought to be a rare, but occasionally necessary, medical decision. Those desiring to have a child together would be required to complete a 24 session "pre-baby" course in order to qualify for a "baby license". (Learning how to bring up a child is at least as important as learning to drive a car!) A baby license entitles the holders to quality childcare at state expense until the child reaches the age of 12.

My "Right to Life" Amendment will provide that this country will not send its children to war as soldiers or bomb or invade any other country without the prior approval, by a seventy per cent majority, of all citizens of the U.S. provided that the votes of those citizens under the age of thirty will counted as two votes each, as against one vote per capita for those over the age of thirty. If the citizens vote for war, then all physically able citizens under the age of seventy five shall be subject to being drafted to fight in it.

My "Right to Life" Amendment will mandate that we spend at least 50 billion a year on developing alternative energy sources and that we be 100% independent of oil as an energy source within ten years of passage of the Amendment.

My "Right to Life" Amendment will provide that persons making up to five hundred thousand dollars a year will pay no taxes;, that earnings between $500,000 and $700,000 shall be taxed at the rate of thirty per cent. Earnings in excess of $700,000 to $ 4.9 million shall be taxed at the rate of 40%. Earnings in excess offive million dollars a year will be taxed at the rate of 90%.

Corporations shall be taxed on their gross proceeds at an equivalent rate as that for individuals, provided that the greater the total aggregate of corporate income, the larger the tax free bonuses that will be paid to its employees and investors.

Please feel free to add to our "Right to Life Amendment. I'm sure I've only scratched the surface of whats needed to truly enjoy the "Right to Life."

19 Comments:

Help! I am lost. I was searching for health services management and somehow ended up here. How that happened I don't know, however I do like your Blog a lot. Would you mind if I add your Blog to my favorites page so others can visit?

Hi, just came across your fha foreclosures blog. What a great site. I also have a site relating to the fha foreclosures niche that I think your readers would be interested in. Would love you to stop by for your feedback